Drought gives a glimpse of ancient archaeology

Last updated at 18:44 21 August 2006

Britain's long hot summer may have left the nation's gardens parched, but the absence of rain has uncovered some remarkable aerial architecture, giving us a glimpse of how our ancestors lived thousands of years ago.

These remarkable images reveal the outlines of previously unknown sites, believed to be some of the first communal buildings erected by prehistoric Britons.

Experts believe they may have been sites used for markets, ceremonies and celebrations.

Like a slowly developing Polaroid, these markings have come to light in fields in Shropshire, the Vale of Glamorgan, the Vale of Conwy and central Wales.

Two 6,000-year-old Neolithic causewayed enclosures have been spotted in Walton, Radnorshire, and near St Athan airfield, in Glamorgan. Archaeologists believe they may be the remains of a rare 5,000-year-old enclosure from Neolithic times.

Dr Toby Driver, of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales, told the Daily Telegraph: "It has been a hugely successful year for aerial archaeology.

"We may not see another like it for a decade. I now have months of work to go through the discoveries, notifying local archaeologists and ensuring that some of the most remarkable sites are visited on the ground and studied further."

Dave Cowley, of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland, said: "Excavations, while important, are slow, expensive and look at a tiny proportion of a site. Aerial archaeology allows us an overview of the whole ground plan, which can also teach us a great deal about how these people lived."